The Kansas City Royals and free agent outfielder Lane Thomas agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal, according to multiple reports on Thursday.
Thomas, 30, spent 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians but only played in 39 games while battling injuries. He batted .160 with four home runs and 11 RBIs before electing to undergo season-ending plantar fascia surgery in September.
Thomas is best known for hitting a grand slam off Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the 2024 American League Division Series to help the Guardians move on to the AL Championship Series.
That came a few months after Cleveland acquired Thomas from the Washington Nationals, where he spent the bulk of his major league career.
In 600 games across seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2019-21), Washington (2021-24) and Cleveland, Thomas has batted .242 with 76 homers, 254 RBIs and 71 stolen bases. He has added two home runs in 10 career playoff games, all coming during Cleveland’s run in 2024.
